Original: "Radiation Canary Bonus Tracks: Straight on til Morning," Codie Renton, Nick Young
This was written by request (thanks, jello_o!) for a meme! It's going to be part of a separate Radiation Canary novel called "Bonus Tracks," which features short stories based in the world of my novel The Rise and Fall of Radiation Canary (available for Kindle March 15!). For those of you who don't know, Codie Renton is based on Agam Darshi and Nick Young is sort of Jonathon Young playing a pastiche of Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson. So if you want to view this as a weird Uber featuring Kate Freelander and Nikola Tesla, feel free. ~g~
There aren't any huge spoilers for Radiation Canary in this, but if you haven't read the book and want to wait, I totally understand. The story will still be here when you know the characters. :D
Summary: Codie offers to fly Nick Young home for Thanksgiving. (5,570 words)
Straight on 'til Morning
by Geonn Cannon
http://www.geonncannon.com
Copyright © 2013 Geonn Cannon
"...and a very special thank you to our musical guests, Radiation Canary! It's always great to have them here. Thanks for watching and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Good night!" Nick waved to the camera and then turned his back to it, swinging his hand down to shake Lana's in the same motion. They could hear the show's prerecorded theme song playing, quieter than it would be on television, but Codie still imagined she could see the credits scrolling past. She stayed on her elevated platform as long as possible, stretching her arm forward to shake Nick's hand as he made his rounds.
"Excellent work as always," he said.
"Thanks. The girls make it easy."
He smiled and continued on to Karen. Codie watched him go, then put aside her sticks and stood up. Nick had migrated over to speak with his sidekick Hank while the audience filed out. She was crossing toward the front of the stage to safely hide in Lana's shadow when Nick's conversation became clear enough for her to hear.
"...four hours to eat one meal and then four hours back."
"Can't you meet in the middle?" Hank asked.
Nick shook his head. "Four generations live in Spokane. I can't ask them to come all this way just to accommodate me, even if I give them tickets to the show. And believe me, I asked."
Codie paused. "Going home for Thanksgiving?"
Nick looked over his shoulder at her, smiled. "Yeah, unfortunately. No, no. I love going home and seeing the folks. It's the getting there that counts as torture. Everyone hates going home for the holidays; I hate how I have to get there."
"I could..." Codie hesitated, stopping herself before she just blurted out the offer. She worked out the logistics, gas and timing and the practical aspects of the generosity, then nodded. "I could fly you out there if you want. Get you from here to Spokane in about an hour."
His eyes widened, and she could see he wanted to agree. "That would be amazing. But I can't ask you to do that."
She shrugged. "I was planning to fly sometime next week. This will just give me a destination and a purpose. I got my plane because of my career, and I got my career because of this show. Let me see your phone." He took it from his pocket and handed it over. Codie dialed in her number. "Call me the day before you want to leave if you want a ride. I'd be happy to do it. Beautiful country between here and Spokane."
Nick's smile widened. "Yes, indeed. I look forward to seeing it from the air. Is Thursday morning okay? Around nine? I don't want to take you away from anything."
"You won't. Nine o'clock. I'll let you know where to be."
She waved to put an end to their interaction and walked over to the rest of her band. Nessa smiled as she approached.
"Did you just make a date with Nick Young?"
Codie nudged Nessa's foot with her boot. Nessa had harbored a crush on the host from their first show. "Jealous, Mrs. Wayland?"
"I'll just live vicariously through you. Details. Bring back details."
"Relax. It's not a date."
As she followed Karen and Lana backstage, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out and clicked on the message from an unknown number.
"How can we get in touch if you don't have my info? How will I ever get my information to you?! We need to figure this out!"
She smiled and programmed the number under his name. She stood by her declaration that it wasn't a date, but she might as well enjoy herself.
#
Codie didn't have a lot of family. When her parents died, she and her brothers scattered to the winds. They were just a group of people who shared genetics and a house. The big family holidays had always just been random days to her. She didn't celebrate Christmas any more than she celebrated Hanukkah. She did like turkey, and she had made her own tradition of treating herself to a big Chinese dinner on Christmas. That changed when she and the other members of the band had formed a pseudo-nuclear family. She was still getting into the swing of actually getting presents, of waking up early to drive to someone's house to have a big turkey dinner and sit around watching football games for no reason.
This year, Nessa was having dinner with Karen and her Dads. Lana was going to celebrate with Catherine on webcam, since they were currently separated by a continent. Karen had invited Codie along, but she realized she was looking forward to flying Nick across the state too much to consider canceling.
Nick sent her a text saying he wanted to be in Spokane at ten, so she told him to meet her at the airport no later than eight-thirty. She had just finished prepping the plane when she saw him striding across the tarmac toward her. His hair was mussed, he was unshaven, and he wore a lightweight V-neck sweater rather than one of his trademark three-piece suits. His hands were in his pockets but he held them out to her as he got close enough to speak without shouting.
"I kept thinking I should pack a bag. It's very odd to drive to the airport and know I'm going to be back in a few hours."
"You could have brought something to read. It might be a little boring up there."
"Can't I just talk to the pilot? Or are there rules? I don't want to distract you."
Codie grinned. "No, you can talk to me. And if I bore you into unconsciousness, the flight will seem all that much faster."
"I'll take the risk."
He climbed into the plane and Codie followed him. She wore her standard flight uniform of cargo pants and a khaki shirt that she called her Jack Hanna costume. She settled in her seat and motioned for Nick to strap in next to her.
"I've never actually flown in one of these little ones before. Usually it's, uh, bigger."
Codie smiled. "Don't worry. These are just as safe. More so, really, because I'm actually able to check everything. The others are so big you're bound to miss something even on the most thorough examinations. Sit tight. I'll have you there in a jiffy."
He remained silent through takeoff, making her wonder if he'd been serious about his flight anxiety.
"Don't worry. I'm not just some vanity celebrity pilot. I take it seriously. Codie and Nessa were both uptight about flying with me when I started out, but now they'll both board without the medication. Or restraints."
He smiled weakly. "Yeah. Restraints are for the bedroom, that's what I always say."
"Kinky. I like it."
"You know, we didn't really talk about, uh... you know, compensation. I have no clue how much gas for this thing costs--"
Codie shook her head. "Forget it. Like I said, I was going to be out flying anyway. I could either circle around a few bays or actually accomplish something with the trip. Plus I get company. That's a win-win for me."
"As long as I'm not taking advantage of your generosity."
"Nope. Plus we owe you. We were playing in dive bars and selling homemade CDs from the back of my van before you came along."
"That's a tragedy. The minute I heard you four, I knew you were something special. Now I'm hearing your songs on TV, movies, all over the radio. I'm feeling a little bit like a proud parent."
"Well-deserved," Codie said. "And we're the ungrateful snot-nosed kids."
He waved his hand dismissively. "You never call, you never write..."
Codie laughed.
They fell silent again as they left Seattle behind, neighborhoods and housing developments giving way to gentle hills, ponds, and narrow rivers that threaded between them.
"So." Nick turned toward her so quickly she wondered if he had fallen asleep. "We all know that you're a big fan, but where do your loyalties lie? Do you have a favorite album? Favorite song?"
"Honestly? I like 'Simply Messing About in Boats.' It's a fantastic song, but I was biased toward it from the start. Wind in the Willows was my favorite book when I was a kid. I used to read it in these nonstop marathon sessions, page one to the end and then back to the start again. It was the first book I read by myself."
"Wow. When was this? Two, three years ago?"
"Almost five now." He grinned. "You ladies have great taste in books. That, and Don Quixote..."
"Well, you can thank Karen for that. She's the one with the library card she actually uses. I don't know when she has time to practice two instruments. She's always either writing a song or reading something."
Nick nodded thoughtfully. "You're an amazing group. You'd all be great alone, but you use your talents to buoy each other. It's really something to see."
"Lana and Karen are the real wunderkinds. Lana dances, sings, plays guitar, she's got the face and the body... Karen writes everything and plays such gorgeous music. You've never heard her play, like... Bach or Rachmaninoff. It's haunting. Me, I just play the drums and keep everyone on rhythm."
"That's not true. You're multi-talented. Drums and planes."
Codie smiled. "Flying is easy. Just get it off the ground and then you let the world do the hard work. Let it keep turning beneath you and try not to run into anything."
Nick whistled. "And you say Karen is the wordsmith."
"You do not want to hear the song I wrote. Trust me on that, Scarecrow."
"Ugh." He waved his hands around his head. "Don't, don't, don't."
Codie was shocked. "You don't like that name?"
He sighed heavily. "When it first got thrown around, I tolerated it. I asked people not to use it, but you know how the internet is." He scratched his chin. "When the trouble went down and I nearly lost my show, people used Scarecrow as a rallying point. They made signs, T-shirts, they made websites." He shrugged. "It felt disingenuous to ask them to stop. At some point you have to admit you're two people. The real person may hate being called Scarecrow, but the celebrity needs to acknowledge the fans who got him to where he is."
"I know what you mean. We've been lucky so far. When we were naming the band, we made sure we had something that was difficult to mock. We had a moratorium on dog or cat names, since... you know. Being four women in a band, that would have been easy pickings."
"You got a point. And I suppose there are worse nicknames to be saddled with. I was Ichabod for a long time growing up. It took a while for me to fill out." He held up a slender finger. "And yes, this is the chunky version of Nicholas Young. It's no my fault being the tallest and thinnest. I don't even exercise."
"Andre the Giant for the win. Pound it." She crossed her left arm over her chest and Nick touched his knuckles to hers. "Love that movie."
He looked out the window again, then suddenly barked a laugh and shook his head.
"What?"
"I was just thinking that if I was driving, I would have already been on the road for three hours at this point. I'd be irritable, sleep-deprived, bored out of my mind... not exactly the holiday spirit. And I'm grateful, don't get me wrong. But what in the world are you going to do in Spokane all afternoon?"
Codie shrugged. "It'll be good to check out some restaurants I'm not used to, places that don't know me as Miss Holiday Table for One."
"Ouch. That's harsh."
"Damn it, no it isn't. Why does everyone think that I need to find someone and settle down? Karen's always trying to set me up, Nessa is all about finding someone to double date with... I'm alone, I'm not lonely. There's a difference. I don't need to check my schedule against someone else's. If I want to fly someone across the state on the spur of the moment, then damn it, I will. If I want to fuck someone I've just met, I don't have to worry about being faithful. If this life is all about finding someone to spend time with, then I'm doing it wrong and I don't even care." She glanced at him as if surprised to find him there. "Sorry."
Nick considered the rant. "I think you did it right, actually. The error is with thinking your someone had to be a person. Or just one person. You found Lana, Karen, and Nessa. And you found this plane. Seems like you found place."
Codie kept her eyes front, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. That's exactly it. If I could marry all three of them, I'd do it. And I'd hold the ceremony in the hangar."
Nick stroked his chin, squinting toward the horizon. "Hm."
"What?"
"No, nothing. I'm just trying to picture what that wedding night would look like."
Codie rolled her eyes and eased the wheel to one side, tilting the plane enough that Nick braced his arms against the body of the plane in an unnecessary effort to stay in his seat. He looked at her when she leveled off, a little green around the gills, and held up one hand in the scout's honor gesture.
"I'll behave if you will."
"That's all I ask, Mr. Young."
#
She landed in Spokane just under an hour later as promised. A light drizzle had started, but it was barely strong enough to even pebble the windshield with its droplets. Nick checked his watch and shook his head. "Unbelievable. I got to sleep in, and I got in early. My family is going to think I teleported here."
"Or, you know, drove in last night to surprise them."
Nick shook his head. "My family is big on sci-fi. They'll go for teleport. I hope you're available for other major holidays."
Codie touched a finger to her eyebrow and saluted him. "I'm just happy to provide a necessary service to such a beloved public figure."
They left the plane and walked across the rain-slicked tarmac toward the waiting yellow cars outside the fence. The cab drivers, sensing potential fares, started their engines so that they breathed smoke like patient predators who had finally caught a scent. Codie kept Nick at arms-length, neither of them intending to but maintaining the distance without realizing they were creating the buffer space.
Nick glanced at her once, twice, thrice before he finally spoke up. "Look, how adamant are you about this no-holidays thing? Is it like a Jewish person eating kosher, or can you actually have turkey and stuffing?"
"Why?"
"My family makes a ton of food and we always have at least half of it left over. Most years that goes to soup kitchens or shelters, and the always reliable turkey sandwiches until Christmas. So there's bound to be enough if you want to get a free meal."
Codie smiled. "Are you trying to pay for your trip in turkey?"
Nick's face was gravely serious. "No. No, never, of course not. I'm trying to pay for my trip with your weight in turkey."
She laughed and looked at the trio of taxis. "Will there be pumpkin pie?"
He looked offended as he turned and strolled away. "We're Americans, aren't we? Pumpkin pie and whipped cream."
That was all Codie needed to hear. She started walking after him.
#
The Young homestead turned out to be a cute little bungalow with an enclosed porch and a well-manicured lawn. A woman who matched Nick in height and slenderness came out onto the top step before Nick had gotten his change from the cabbie, and he held his hands out to either side as he preceded Codie up the brick walkway.
"Mama! Have you missed me?"
"Tell me you didn't pay a cab all the way from Seattle!"
"Never. Mom, this is Codie Renton. She's a pilot, and she offered to fly me up here."
The elder Young focused on Codie, eyes wide. "Oh, my goodness. What a lovely thing! Were you on your way here, too?"
"No, I just had no plans." She shrugged. "Favor for a friend."
"And I told Codie I would pay her back with a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner."
"Oh, of course! Of course, please, come in. Did you say your name was Codie...?"
Codie nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's not short for anything."
Nick's mother smiled. "Well, I'm Myrna. None of this 'Mrs. Young' nonsense. Come on inside and we'll get you comfortable. Dinner is still a little ways away. You actually managed to get Nicholas here early for a change."
"I aim to please."
Nick grinned as Codie was taken into his mother's orbit and ushered up the steps into the house. The front door was a wall of warmth, and Codie was clutching for the zip of her jacket as soon as she was over the threshold. Four men were parked on the sofa watching football, and Codie could see into the kitchen where six women were holding court next to the back door. Judging from the shouts drifting from out back, they were keeping an eye on at least four dozen children. It could have been fewer, but to Codie's untrained ears it sounded like an entire kindergarten.
A teenage boy came down the stairs as Codie was getting out of her jacket. He glanced at her and then stopped dead in his tracks.
"Holy shit, Codie Renton?"
Myrna slapped the boy's arm. "Stephen! Language!"
Codie smiled. "Hi."
Nick stopped at Codie's shoulder. "Codie, this is my nephew, Stephen."
"My girlfriend loves you guys."
"I can sign something for her if you want."
Stephen grinned. "Really? Okay, hold on." He turned and darted back up the stairs.
Myrna, who had clocked the conversation with increasing confusion, looked at Codie again. Now the football game had been forgotten, and the women in the kitchen had stopped talking to take an interest. Myrna put a hand on Codie's arm. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were famous."
"I'm not. I'm fame-adjacent."
Nick scoffed. "She's being modest. Codie here is the drummer for Radiation Canary."
"Oh, my goodness, of course!" One of the women crossed the living room, smiling as she approached. She was a brunette in a yellow button-down sweater, her hair held off her face by a clip. "I'm Noelle, Nick's sister. All these years Nick's never brought anyone home, and he breaks the streak by showing up with a celebrity."
Codie grinned nervously and shook Noelle's hand. "Uh, thanks."
Nick playfully swatted away his sister's hand. "Now, cut that out. Codie did me a favor and she just wants a hot meal in return. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
Myrna shook her head. "Of course it isn't. If we start pestering Codie about her job, then she can pester us right back. And I don't think Jeremy wants to spend his Thanksgiving talking about cost curves."
"Thanks," Codie said.
Stephen returned with a copy of Rome Burning, the band's second CD. The plastic case was cracked and the liner notes stained, and he sheepishly handed it over.
"Sorry it's not in better condition."
"Nah." She took the case from him and examined it. "This case has lived in a car. That means you listen to it a lot. Do you have a pen?" He produced one and Codie opened the case to take out the liner notes. He told her his girlfriend's name, and Codie wrote out 'To Lindsay, Thanks for listening!' and handed it back to him. "Just try not to get any more soda on it."
"I won't. Well, Lindsay won't. I'm going to give it to her."
"I'll be here until dinner is over if she wants to drop by. I'll sign something a little less loved for her if she wants."
"That would be awesome. Thanks!"
Codie shrugged and finally continued past the house's threshold. Codie knew what the men were thinking; they recognized the name Radiation Canary for the buxom and beautiful lead singer who had once performed a striptease during one of their concerts. They were thinking about the apple-cheeked blonde who played the cello. They weren't thinking about her, who was happy to linger at the back of the stage behind her wall of percussion.
After the initial introductions had been made and the unexpected surprise of having a celebrity in their midst wore off, Codie settled into a chair to watch football until the meal was ready. Stephen's girlfriend Lindsay showed up half an hour later with the band's first three CDs, and Codie dutifully autographed them all.
Lunch was served not long after Lindsay arrived, and Codie gratefully gave the spotlight up to the succulent bird that had just come out of the oven.
#
When Nick's brother-in-law found out Codie was a pilot, he approached and asked about her plane. She was more than willing to talk about flying until Christmas, so she latched onto him like a life preserver. Flying was a hobby of his, and they discussed where they had been and where they hoped to one day go. When Nick subtly told her he was making the final rounds, she discovered she was reluctant to end the discussion. She thanked the brother-in-law, not just for the conversation but for letting her feel like an actual guest instead of the hired entertainment.
Myrna escorted them out four hours after they arrived, pausing to hug Nick at the end of the walkway. Codie drifted further down the sidewalk to give him a moment, hands in her pockets. The cab they'd called for was waiting at the curb, the slender Indian driver hanging one hand out the open window with a cigarette. The sounds of the football game drifted to her from the car stereo. He glanced at Codie and gave her a head-nod of acknowledgement: their families could have come from the same town, or they could have been mortal enemies, but here and now they were cousins. She nodded back and held up one finger to indicate they wouldn't be long. He shrugged and went back to waiting.
Nick finally approached with a weary sigh. "Mothers. You're never older than ten with them, are you?"
Codie smiled and started toward the waiting car. Nick seemed to take her silence for irritation. He slid into the cab next to her and directed the driver toward the airport.
"Look... I'm sorry about that. I didn't think they would turn it into a fan-fest. It was awkward and weird, and I should have warned them not to--"
"No, it was great. I really enjoyed myself." She smiled. "It was kind of like performance art. The typical modern American family sits down to a holiday meal."
Nick grinned. "I don't know about typical."
"It's our abnormalities that make us normal," she said.
"Eloquent."
She shrugged and inhaled the lingering smoke scent that hung in the air. "Excuse me." She raised her voice so the driver would know she was talking to him. "You didn't snub out your cigarette, did you? I quit a few years back, but I'm really craving the smell."
"Tossed it," he said, meeting her gaze in the rearview. "Boss doesn't like it. I shouldn't even have been smoking while I was waiting for you. Sorry."
"It's okay." She leaned back and watched the streets pass by the window.
Nick snapped his fingers suddenly. "I realize what it is."
She looked at him. "What what is?"
"Why you seem so odd today. I noticed it when you were flying, but I didn't put it together until just now. You're still."
"Still what?"
"No, still. Motionless. When you're playing, you're always tapping one foot or assaulting your drums. You're a restless perpetual motion machine. Now you're just serene and calm. It's disconcerting."
She cupped her fingers over her thighs and used her fingers to drum out a beat. "Is that more to your liking?"
He grinned. "Well, at least it's something familiar."
"I know what you mean, though. I'm used to seeing Nick the persona. The TV host who wanders out to meet the guests and then vanishes backstage. It's kind of nice seeing what you're like in real life."
"Hope I didn't disappoint."
Codie shook her head. "Nope. In fact, it'll make me like your show a little more now that I know how you are when the cameras are off."
"You didn't like my show before?"
"The show is fine. It's the host that made me cringe."
Nick laughed and shoved her against the car door. Codie grinned and kept drumming on her legs until they were delivered to the airport.
#
Nick dozed for most of the flight home. Codie was grateful for the respite. After spending time with his family, she enjoyed the silence. She flew to clear her head and to get away from everything for a few minutes. Not that she minded the passenger. She looked over and saw Nick slumped in his seat, his lanky body seemingly folded in on itself with his chin against his chest. She didn't envy him the crick he would have in his neck when he woke up.
They quickly left the rain behind in Spokane, the thick clouds giving way to clear blue skies that blended with the blue of the Pacific Ocean. They were only a few minutes from touching down when Nick finally sat up. He stretched, grunted as he molded his hand to the back of his neck with a grimace.
"Ow. Sleeping on an airplane, not advised."
Codie smirked. "I usually find somewhere to land, set up a tent, camp out for the night. I make sure the girls know where to find me but otherwise it's me, myself, and I for the duration."
"Sounds peaceful."
"When you spend seventy-five percent of your life banging on drums, it's nice to remember what silence sounds like."
He nodded. "It was nice what you did for Steve's girlfriend."
"What? Signing my name? That's nothing. I do it every day."
"Well, it meant a lot to her. I've heard of some celebrities who shall remain nameless who charge for it."
Codie shrugged. "I can understand that, too. It's a buffer. If people know you charge for it, they're less likely to interrupt you at dinner or come running up to you on the street. I don't mind doing it, but sometimes I just want to go out for a beer and not worry about my penmanship."
"You have a point."
"You probably get that a lot yourself. I mean, when it's not your family."
"I did during the whole Scarecrow fiasco, but now I'm just another talk show host in a sea of similar."
Codie was going to let that hang, but then chose to say what she was thinking. "You'll always be more than that to us. You put us on the map. Everything we have now is because you gave us a break. We owe you for that."
He grinned and looked at the city approaching through the window. "Happy to help. You four would have made it even without my interference. I just latched on at the right time to get the credit for discovering you. If I cut a day or two off your ascent and helped you get to the big time a little early, then I'll take that credit. But don't say I got you there. If anything, you four got my ratings back into a place where I don't have to worry about cancellation."
"Well, let's just agree it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Like those little fish that live on whales."
"Barnacles?"
"Yes. You are our barnacle."
"I am surprisingly okay with that."
"You better be, barnacle boy."
They landed, and Nick waited patiently while Codie put her ride to bed. She walked him back out to the parking lot, the buffer space between them more narrow than it had been at the Spokane airport. She'd eaten a meal with his family, had been called sweetheart by his mother, and now she had a hard time seeing the invisible bubble of celebrity around him. He was no longer Nick Young of Settle In, Seattle!, he was the affable kid from down the street, the Young boy who had some silly show on cable.
Once they were outside, Nick gestured ahead. "I'm parked right over there."
"All right. If you need a lift home for Christmas, you know where to reach me."
"I do indeed. Thank you again. You saved me six hours, but I feel like I stole them from you. The trip, forcing you to spend the afternoon with my family..."
"Don't be silly. I had a great time. But if I go back for Christmas, I expect presents."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. My mother is aware of your existence. You ate a meal in her home. You are definitely on the Christmas list. Hope you need sweaters." He waved goodbye and turned around to walk away.
Codie stared at his back for a moment, rapidly debating the pros and cons as she had when she first offered to fly him home.
"Yo, Nick." He turned. "You remember how I said I really like not being attached to anyone, being able to make spur of the moment decisions?"
He nodded. "Yeah?"
She gestured to where she had parked. "You want to follow me to my place?"
"Your place?" He narrowed his eyes, and she could see him trying to decide if she was offering what he thought she was offering. If he was making the wrong assumption and said something, he risked being humiliated and retroactively ruining the entire day. She decided to take pity on him.
"I'm not asking you over to watch TV, Scarecrow."
He smiled.
#
The next morning, Codie woke up alone. She had managed to get a tour T-shirt on, the band name scrawled across her breast and the hem tickling her thigh under the blanket. She sat up and checked her phone, seeing four new messages. She rubbed her eyes and focused on the one from Nick's phone.
"Do people still leave notes on pillows these days? Seems easier to just text. Anyway, I hope you won't think it's too cold or impersonal. I really did look for paper. Had a great time last night. If I get that kind of response for turkey, I can't wait to see what happens when you taste Mom's Christmas ham. If we're still on for Christmas. I've known who you are for five years. Nice to finally get to know you. Nick."
Codie smiled and read the other messages - Lana arranging rehearsal for that weekend, Karen wishing her a happy Thanksgiving - before she climbed out of bed. She walked barefoot to the bathroom, peeled off the shirt, and stood under the shower until she felt awake. She wrapped the towel around her torso and saw that another message had arrived during her shower, this time it was Nessa to complete the Radiation Canary trifecta.
"Two hours in a plane with Nick Young. You better let me live vicariously! What's he like in real life?"
Actually two hours in a plane, four hours at Thanksgiving dinner, and then about five hours of naked, sweaty, grunting fun-time. Then take out and four more hours of slap-and-tickle before they fell asleep. She considered her response and, hair dripping down her back, she bit her lip to rein in her smile as she typed her response.
"He hogs the covers, but he doesn't mind letting the woman be on top."
She made it all the way to the living room before her phone began to howl with Nessa's response.
#
That afternoon, after spilling the beans and all the gory details to Nessa, Codie drove back to the airport. She had the mechanic gas up her plane and did the pre-flight herself. The previous day might not have been a stereotypical holiday, and it might not have been her real family, but she felt she had finally gotten the gist of Thanksgiving. Topping it off with a little bit of amazing sex was just a really wonderful bonus prize.
This time she turned west, angling north once she reached the coastline. Puget Sound was ahead of her, with the sea to her left. She looked inland, trying to decide where she was going to go. The sky was the limit, and once she had the sky she could go anywhere or do anything. She turned east toward the islands. She loved the way the straight line of the horizon was broken up by the gentle humped backs of the islands both large and small, the geometric lines of the evergreens looking like flags on a windless day as she breezed past them.
Codie, still and restful, smiled as she let the plane carry her toward all the sharps and smooths of the horizon.
There aren't any huge spoilers for Radiation Canary in this, but if you haven't read the book and want to wait, I totally understand. The story will still be here when you know the characters. :D
Summary: Codie offers to fly Nick Young home for Thanksgiving. (5,570 words)
Straight on 'til Morning
by Geonn Cannon
http://www.geonncannon.com
Copyright © 2013 Geonn Cannon
"...and a very special thank you to our musical guests, Radiation Canary! It's always great to have them here. Thanks for watching and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Good night!" Nick waved to the camera and then turned his back to it, swinging his hand down to shake Lana's in the same motion. They could hear the show's prerecorded theme song playing, quieter than it would be on television, but Codie still imagined she could see the credits scrolling past. She stayed on her elevated platform as long as possible, stretching her arm forward to shake Nick's hand as he made his rounds.
"Excellent work as always," he said.
"Thanks. The girls make it easy."
He smiled and continued on to Karen. Codie watched him go, then put aside her sticks and stood up. Nick had migrated over to speak with his sidekick Hank while the audience filed out. She was crossing toward the front of the stage to safely hide in Lana's shadow when Nick's conversation became clear enough for her to hear.
"...four hours to eat one meal and then four hours back."
"Can't you meet in the middle?" Hank asked.
Nick shook his head. "Four generations live in Spokane. I can't ask them to come all this way just to accommodate me, even if I give them tickets to the show. And believe me, I asked."
Codie paused. "Going home for Thanksgiving?"
Nick looked over his shoulder at her, smiled. "Yeah, unfortunately. No, no. I love going home and seeing the folks. It's the getting there that counts as torture. Everyone hates going home for the holidays; I hate how I have to get there."
"I could..." Codie hesitated, stopping herself before she just blurted out the offer. She worked out the logistics, gas and timing and the practical aspects of the generosity, then nodded. "I could fly you out there if you want. Get you from here to Spokane in about an hour."
His eyes widened, and she could see he wanted to agree. "That would be amazing. But I can't ask you to do that."
She shrugged. "I was planning to fly sometime next week. This will just give me a destination and a purpose. I got my plane because of my career, and I got my career because of this show. Let me see your phone." He took it from his pocket and handed it over. Codie dialed in her number. "Call me the day before you want to leave if you want a ride. I'd be happy to do it. Beautiful country between here and Spokane."
Nick's smile widened. "Yes, indeed. I look forward to seeing it from the air. Is Thursday morning okay? Around nine? I don't want to take you away from anything."
"You won't. Nine o'clock. I'll let you know where to be."
She waved to put an end to their interaction and walked over to the rest of her band. Nessa smiled as she approached.
"Did you just make a date with Nick Young?"
Codie nudged Nessa's foot with her boot. Nessa had harbored a crush on the host from their first show. "Jealous, Mrs. Wayland?"
"I'll just live vicariously through you. Details. Bring back details."
"Relax. It's not a date."
As she followed Karen and Lana backstage, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out and clicked on the message from an unknown number.
"How can we get in touch if you don't have my info? How will I ever get my information to you?! We need to figure this out!"
She smiled and programmed the number under his name. She stood by her declaration that it wasn't a date, but she might as well enjoy herself.
#
Codie didn't have a lot of family. When her parents died, she and her brothers scattered to the winds. They were just a group of people who shared genetics and a house. The big family holidays had always just been random days to her. She didn't celebrate Christmas any more than she celebrated Hanukkah. She did like turkey, and she had made her own tradition of treating herself to a big Chinese dinner on Christmas. That changed when she and the other members of the band had formed a pseudo-nuclear family. She was still getting into the swing of actually getting presents, of waking up early to drive to someone's house to have a big turkey dinner and sit around watching football games for no reason.
This year, Nessa was having dinner with Karen and her Dads. Lana was going to celebrate with Catherine on webcam, since they were currently separated by a continent. Karen had invited Codie along, but she realized she was looking forward to flying Nick across the state too much to consider canceling.
Nick sent her a text saying he wanted to be in Spokane at ten, so she told him to meet her at the airport no later than eight-thirty. She had just finished prepping the plane when she saw him striding across the tarmac toward her. His hair was mussed, he was unshaven, and he wore a lightweight V-neck sweater rather than one of his trademark three-piece suits. His hands were in his pockets but he held them out to her as he got close enough to speak without shouting.
"I kept thinking I should pack a bag. It's very odd to drive to the airport and know I'm going to be back in a few hours."
"You could have brought something to read. It might be a little boring up there."
"Can't I just talk to the pilot? Or are there rules? I don't want to distract you."
Codie grinned. "No, you can talk to me. And if I bore you into unconsciousness, the flight will seem all that much faster."
"I'll take the risk."
He climbed into the plane and Codie followed him. She wore her standard flight uniform of cargo pants and a khaki shirt that she called her Jack Hanna costume. She settled in her seat and motioned for Nick to strap in next to her.
"I've never actually flown in one of these little ones before. Usually it's, uh, bigger."
Codie smiled. "Don't worry. These are just as safe. More so, really, because I'm actually able to check everything. The others are so big you're bound to miss something even on the most thorough examinations. Sit tight. I'll have you there in a jiffy."
He remained silent through takeoff, making her wonder if he'd been serious about his flight anxiety.
"Don't worry. I'm not just some vanity celebrity pilot. I take it seriously. Codie and Nessa were both uptight about flying with me when I started out, but now they'll both board without the medication. Or restraints."
He smiled weakly. "Yeah. Restraints are for the bedroom, that's what I always say."
"Kinky. I like it."
"You know, we didn't really talk about, uh... you know, compensation. I have no clue how much gas for this thing costs--"
Codie shook her head. "Forget it. Like I said, I was going to be out flying anyway. I could either circle around a few bays or actually accomplish something with the trip. Plus I get company. That's a win-win for me."
"As long as I'm not taking advantage of your generosity."
"Nope. Plus we owe you. We were playing in dive bars and selling homemade CDs from the back of my van before you came along."
"That's a tragedy. The minute I heard you four, I knew you were something special. Now I'm hearing your songs on TV, movies, all over the radio. I'm feeling a little bit like a proud parent."
"Well-deserved," Codie said. "And we're the ungrateful snot-nosed kids."
He waved his hand dismissively. "You never call, you never write..."
Codie laughed.
They fell silent again as they left Seattle behind, neighborhoods and housing developments giving way to gentle hills, ponds, and narrow rivers that threaded between them.
"So." Nick turned toward her so quickly she wondered if he had fallen asleep. "We all know that you're a big fan, but where do your loyalties lie? Do you have a favorite album? Favorite song?"
"Honestly? I like 'Simply Messing About in Boats.' It's a fantastic song, but I was biased toward it from the start. Wind in the Willows was my favorite book when I was a kid. I used to read it in these nonstop marathon sessions, page one to the end and then back to the start again. It was the first book I read by myself."
"Wow. When was this? Two, three years ago?"
"Almost five now." He grinned. "You ladies have great taste in books. That, and Don Quixote..."
"Well, you can thank Karen for that. She's the one with the library card she actually uses. I don't know when she has time to practice two instruments. She's always either writing a song or reading something."
Nick nodded thoughtfully. "You're an amazing group. You'd all be great alone, but you use your talents to buoy each other. It's really something to see."
"Lana and Karen are the real wunderkinds. Lana dances, sings, plays guitar, she's got the face and the body... Karen writes everything and plays such gorgeous music. You've never heard her play, like... Bach or Rachmaninoff. It's haunting. Me, I just play the drums and keep everyone on rhythm."
"That's not true. You're multi-talented. Drums and planes."
Codie smiled. "Flying is easy. Just get it off the ground and then you let the world do the hard work. Let it keep turning beneath you and try not to run into anything."
Nick whistled. "And you say Karen is the wordsmith."
"You do not want to hear the song I wrote. Trust me on that, Scarecrow."
"Ugh." He waved his hands around his head. "Don't, don't, don't."
Codie was shocked. "You don't like that name?"
He sighed heavily. "When it first got thrown around, I tolerated it. I asked people not to use it, but you know how the internet is." He scratched his chin. "When the trouble went down and I nearly lost my show, people used Scarecrow as a rallying point. They made signs, T-shirts, they made websites." He shrugged. "It felt disingenuous to ask them to stop. At some point you have to admit you're two people. The real person may hate being called Scarecrow, but the celebrity needs to acknowledge the fans who got him to where he is."
"I know what you mean. We've been lucky so far. When we were naming the band, we made sure we had something that was difficult to mock. We had a moratorium on dog or cat names, since... you know. Being four women in a band, that would have been easy pickings."
"You got a point. And I suppose there are worse nicknames to be saddled with. I was Ichabod for a long time growing up. It took a while for me to fill out." He held up a slender finger. "And yes, this is the chunky version of Nicholas Young. It's no my fault being the tallest and thinnest. I don't even exercise."
"Andre the Giant for the win. Pound it." She crossed her left arm over her chest and Nick touched his knuckles to hers. "Love that movie."
He looked out the window again, then suddenly barked a laugh and shook his head.
"What?"
"I was just thinking that if I was driving, I would have already been on the road for three hours at this point. I'd be irritable, sleep-deprived, bored out of my mind... not exactly the holiday spirit. And I'm grateful, don't get me wrong. But what in the world are you going to do in Spokane all afternoon?"
Codie shrugged. "It'll be good to check out some restaurants I'm not used to, places that don't know me as Miss Holiday Table for One."
"Ouch. That's harsh."
"Damn it, no it isn't. Why does everyone think that I need to find someone and settle down? Karen's always trying to set me up, Nessa is all about finding someone to double date with... I'm alone, I'm not lonely. There's a difference. I don't need to check my schedule against someone else's. If I want to fly someone across the state on the spur of the moment, then damn it, I will. If I want to fuck someone I've just met, I don't have to worry about being faithful. If this life is all about finding someone to spend time with, then I'm doing it wrong and I don't even care." She glanced at him as if surprised to find him there. "Sorry."
Nick considered the rant. "I think you did it right, actually. The error is with thinking your someone had to be a person. Or just one person. You found Lana, Karen, and Nessa. And you found this plane. Seems like you found place."
Codie kept her eyes front, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. That's exactly it. If I could marry all three of them, I'd do it. And I'd hold the ceremony in the hangar."
Nick stroked his chin, squinting toward the horizon. "Hm."
"What?"
"No, nothing. I'm just trying to picture what that wedding night would look like."
Codie rolled her eyes and eased the wheel to one side, tilting the plane enough that Nick braced his arms against the body of the plane in an unnecessary effort to stay in his seat. He looked at her when she leveled off, a little green around the gills, and held up one hand in the scout's honor gesture.
"I'll behave if you will."
"That's all I ask, Mr. Young."
#
She landed in Spokane just under an hour later as promised. A light drizzle had started, but it was barely strong enough to even pebble the windshield with its droplets. Nick checked his watch and shook his head. "Unbelievable. I got to sleep in, and I got in early. My family is going to think I teleported here."
"Or, you know, drove in last night to surprise them."
Nick shook his head. "My family is big on sci-fi. They'll go for teleport. I hope you're available for other major holidays."
Codie touched a finger to her eyebrow and saluted him. "I'm just happy to provide a necessary service to such a beloved public figure."
They left the plane and walked across the rain-slicked tarmac toward the waiting yellow cars outside the fence. The cab drivers, sensing potential fares, started their engines so that they breathed smoke like patient predators who had finally caught a scent. Codie kept Nick at arms-length, neither of them intending to but maintaining the distance without realizing they were creating the buffer space.
Nick glanced at her once, twice, thrice before he finally spoke up. "Look, how adamant are you about this no-holidays thing? Is it like a Jewish person eating kosher, or can you actually have turkey and stuffing?"
"Why?"
"My family makes a ton of food and we always have at least half of it left over. Most years that goes to soup kitchens or shelters, and the always reliable turkey sandwiches until Christmas. So there's bound to be enough if you want to get a free meal."
Codie smiled. "Are you trying to pay for your trip in turkey?"
Nick's face was gravely serious. "No. No, never, of course not. I'm trying to pay for my trip with your weight in turkey."
She laughed and looked at the trio of taxis. "Will there be pumpkin pie?"
He looked offended as he turned and strolled away. "We're Americans, aren't we? Pumpkin pie and whipped cream."
That was all Codie needed to hear. She started walking after him.
#
The Young homestead turned out to be a cute little bungalow with an enclosed porch and a well-manicured lawn. A woman who matched Nick in height and slenderness came out onto the top step before Nick had gotten his change from the cabbie, and he held his hands out to either side as he preceded Codie up the brick walkway.
"Mama! Have you missed me?"
"Tell me you didn't pay a cab all the way from Seattle!"
"Never. Mom, this is Codie Renton. She's a pilot, and she offered to fly me up here."
The elder Young focused on Codie, eyes wide. "Oh, my goodness. What a lovely thing! Were you on your way here, too?"
"No, I just had no plans." She shrugged. "Favor for a friend."
"And I told Codie I would pay her back with a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner."
"Oh, of course! Of course, please, come in. Did you say your name was Codie...?"
Codie nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's not short for anything."
Nick's mother smiled. "Well, I'm Myrna. None of this 'Mrs. Young' nonsense. Come on inside and we'll get you comfortable. Dinner is still a little ways away. You actually managed to get Nicholas here early for a change."
"I aim to please."
Nick grinned as Codie was taken into his mother's orbit and ushered up the steps into the house. The front door was a wall of warmth, and Codie was clutching for the zip of her jacket as soon as she was over the threshold. Four men were parked on the sofa watching football, and Codie could see into the kitchen where six women were holding court next to the back door. Judging from the shouts drifting from out back, they were keeping an eye on at least four dozen children. It could have been fewer, but to Codie's untrained ears it sounded like an entire kindergarten.
A teenage boy came down the stairs as Codie was getting out of her jacket. He glanced at her and then stopped dead in his tracks.
"Holy shit, Codie Renton?"
Myrna slapped the boy's arm. "Stephen! Language!"
Codie smiled. "Hi."
Nick stopped at Codie's shoulder. "Codie, this is my nephew, Stephen."
"My girlfriend loves you guys."
"I can sign something for her if you want."
Stephen grinned. "Really? Okay, hold on." He turned and darted back up the stairs.
Myrna, who had clocked the conversation with increasing confusion, looked at Codie again. Now the football game had been forgotten, and the women in the kitchen had stopped talking to take an interest. Myrna put a hand on Codie's arm. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were famous."
"I'm not. I'm fame-adjacent."
Nick scoffed. "She's being modest. Codie here is the drummer for Radiation Canary."
"Oh, my goodness, of course!" One of the women crossed the living room, smiling as she approached. She was a brunette in a yellow button-down sweater, her hair held off her face by a clip. "I'm Noelle, Nick's sister. All these years Nick's never brought anyone home, and he breaks the streak by showing up with a celebrity."
Codie grinned nervously and shook Noelle's hand. "Uh, thanks."
Nick playfully swatted away his sister's hand. "Now, cut that out. Codie did me a favor and she just wants a hot meal in return. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
Myrna shook her head. "Of course it isn't. If we start pestering Codie about her job, then she can pester us right back. And I don't think Jeremy wants to spend his Thanksgiving talking about cost curves."
"Thanks," Codie said.
Stephen returned with a copy of Rome Burning, the band's second CD. The plastic case was cracked and the liner notes stained, and he sheepishly handed it over.
"Sorry it's not in better condition."
"Nah." She took the case from him and examined it. "This case has lived in a car. That means you listen to it a lot. Do you have a pen?" He produced one and Codie opened the case to take out the liner notes. He told her his girlfriend's name, and Codie wrote out 'To Lindsay, Thanks for listening!' and handed it back to him. "Just try not to get any more soda on it."
"I won't. Well, Lindsay won't. I'm going to give it to her."
"I'll be here until dinner is over if she wants to drop by. I'll sign something a little less loved for her if she wants."
"That would be awesome. Thanks!"
Codie shrugged and finally continued past the house's threshold. Codie knew what the men were thinking; they recognized the name Radiation Canary for the buxom and beautiful lead singer who had once performed a striptease during one of their concerts. They were thinking about the apple-cheeked blonde who played the cello. They weren't thinking about her, who was happy to linger at the back of the stage behind her wall of percussion.
After the initial introductions had been made and the unexpected surprise of having a celebrity in their midst wore off, Codie settled into a chair to watch football until the meal was ready. Stephen's girlfriend Lindsay showed up half an hour later with the band's first three CDs, and Codie dutifully autographed them all.
Lunch was served not long after Lindsay arrived, and Codie gratefully gave the spotlight up to the succulent bird that had just come out of the oven.
#
When Nick's brother-in-law found out Codie was a pilot, he approached and asked about her plane. She was more than willing to talk about flying until Christmas, so she latched onto him like a life preserver. Flying was a hobby of his, and they discussed where they had been and where they hoped to one day go. When Nick subtly told her he was making the final rounds, she discovered she was reluctant to end the discussion. She thanked the brother-in-law, not just for the conversation but for letting her feel like an actual guest instead of the hired entertainment.
Myrna escorted them out four hours after they arrived, pausing to hug Nick at the end of the walkway. Codie drifted further down the sidewalk to give him a moment, hands in her pockets. The cab they'd called for was waiting at the curb, the slender Indian driver hanging one hand out the open window with a cigarette. The sounds of the football game drifted to her from the car stereo. He glanced at Codie and gave her a head-nod of acknowledgement: their families could have come from the same town, or they could have been mortal enemies, but here and now they were cousins. She nodded back and held up one finger to indicate they wouldn't be long. He shrugged and went back to waiting.
Nick finally approached with a weary sigh. "Mothers. You're never older than ten with them, are you?"
Codie smiled and started toward the waiting car. Nick seemed to take her silence for irritation. He slid into the cab next to her and directed the driver toward the airport.
"Look... I'm sorry about that. I didn't think they would turn it into a fan-fest. It was awkward and weird, and I should have warned them not to--"
"No, it was great. I really enjoyed myself." She smiled. "It was kind of like performance art. The typical modern American family sits down to a holiday meal."
Nick grinned. "I don't know about typical."
"It's our abnormalities that make us normal," she said.
"Eloquent."
She shrugged and inhaled the lingering smoke scent that hung in the air. "Excuse me." She raised her voice so the driver would know she was talking to him. "You didn't snub out your cigarette, did you? I quit a few years back, but I'm really craving the smell."
"Tossed it," he said, meeting her gaze in the rearview. "Boss doesn't like it. I shouldn't even have been smoking while I was waiting for you. Sorry."
"It's okay." She leaned back and watched the streets pass by the window.
Nick snapped his fingers suddenly. "I realize what it is."
She looked at him. "What what is?"
"Why you seem so odd today. I noticed it when you were flying, but I didn't put it together until just now. You're still."
"Still what?"
"No, still. Motionless. When you're playing, you're always tapping one foot or assaulting your drums. You're a restless perpetual motion machine. Now you're just serene and calm. It's disconcerting."
She cupped her fingers over her thighs and used her fingers to drum out a beat. "Is that more to your liking?"
He grinned. "Well, at least it's something familiar."
"I know what you mean, though. I'm used to seeing Nick the persona. The TV host who wanders out to meet the guests and then vanishes backstage. It's kind of nice seeing what you're like in real life."
"Hope I didn't disappoint."
Codie shook her head. "Nope. In fact, it'll make me like your show a little more now that I know how you are when the cameras are off."
"You didn't like my show before?"
"The show is fine. It's the host that made me cringe."
Nick laughed and shoved her against the car door. Codie grinned and kept drumming on her legs until they were delivered to the airport.
#
Nick dozed for most of the flight home. Codie was grateful for the respite. After spending time with his family, she enjoyed the silence. She flew to clear her head and to get away from everything for a few minutes. Not that she minded the passenger. She looked over and saw Nick slumped in his seat, his lanky body seemingly folded in on itself with his chin against his chest. She didn't envy him the crick he would have in his neck when he woke up.
They quickly left the rain behind in Spokane, the thick clouds giving way to clear blue skies that blended with the blue of the Pacific Ocean. They were only a few minutes from touching down when Nick finally sat up. He stretched, grunted as he molded his hand to the back of his neck with a grimace.
"Ow. Sleeping on an airplane, not advised."
Codie smirked. "I usually find somewhere to land, set up a tent, camp out for the night. I make sure the girls know where to find me but otherwise it's me, myself, and I for the duration."
"Sounds peaceful."
"When you spend seventy-five percent of your life banging on drums, it's nice to remember what silence sounds like."
He nodded. "It was nice what you did for Steve's girlfriend."
"What? Signing my name? That's nothing. I do it every day."
"Well, it meant a lot to her. I've heard of some celebrities who shall remain nameless who charge for it."
Codie shrugged. "I can understand that, too. It's a buffer. If people know you charge for it, they're less likely to interrupt you at dinner or come running up to you on the street. I don't mind doing it, but sometimes I just want to go out for a beer and not worry about my penmanship."
"You have a point."
"You probably get that a lot yourself. I mean, when it's not your family."
"I did during the whole Scarecrow fiasco, but now I'm just another talk show host in a sea of similar."
Codie was going to let that hang, but then chose to say what she was thinking. "You'll always be more than that to us. You put us on the map. Everything we have now is because you gave us a break. We owe you for that."
He grinned and looked at the city approaching through the window. "Happy to help. You four would have made it even without my interference. I just latched on at the right time to get the credit for discovering you. If I cut a day or two off your ascent and helped you get to the big time a little early, then I'll take that credit. But don't say I got you there. If anything, you four got my ratings back into a place where I don't have to worry about cancellation."
"Well, let's just agree it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Like those little fish that live on whales."
"Barnacles?"
"Yes. You are our barnacle."
"I am surprisingly okay with that."
"You better be, barnacle boy."
They landed, and Nick waited patiently while Codie put her ride to bed. She walked him back out to the parking lot, the buffer space between them more narrow than it had been at the Spokane airport. She'd eaten a meal with his family, had been called sweetheart by his mother, and now she had a hard time seeing the invisible bubble of celebrity around him. He was no longer Nick Young of Settle In, Seattle!, he was the affable kid from down the street, the Young boy who had some silly show on cable.
Once they were outside, Nick gestured ahead. "I'm parked right over there."
"All right. If you need a lift home for Christmas, you know where to reach me."
"I do indeed. Thank you again. You saved me six hours, but I feel like I stole them from you. The trip, forcing you to spend the afternoon with my family..."
"Don't be silly. I had a great time. But if I go back for Christmas, I expect presents."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. My mother is aware of your existence. You ate a meal in her home. You are definitely on the Christmas list. Hope you need sweaters." He waved goodbye and turned around to walk away.
Codie stared at his back for a moment, rapidly debating the pros and cons as she had when she first offered to fly him home.
"Yo, Nick." He turned. "You remember how I said I really like not being attached to anyone, being able to make spur of the moment decisions?"
He nodded. "Yeah?"
She gestured to where she had parked. "You want to follow me to my place?"
"Your place?" He narrowed his eyes, and she could see him trying to decide if she was offering what he thought she was offering. If he was making the wrong assumption and said something, he risked being humiliated and retroactively ruining the entire day. She decided to take pity on him.
"I'm not asking you over to watch TV, Scarecrow."
He smiled.
#
The next morning, Codie woke up alone. She had managed to get a tour T-shirt on, the band name scrawled across her breast and the hem tickling her thigh under the blanket. She sat up and checked her phone, seeing four new messages. She rubbed her eyes and focused on the one from Nick's phone.
"Do people still leave notes on pillows these days? Seems easier to just text. Anyway, I hope you won't think it's too cold or impersonal. I really did look for paper. Had a great time last night. If I get that kind of response for turkey, I can't wait to see what happens when you taste Mom's Christmas ham. If we're still on for Christmas. I've known who you are for five years. Nice to finally get to know you. Nick."
Codie smiled and read the other messages - Lana arranging rehearsal for that weekend, Karen wishing her a happy Thanksgiving - before she climbed out of bed. She walked barefoot to the bathroom, peeled off the shirt, and stood under the shower until she felt awake. She wrapped the towel around her torso and saw that another message had arrived during her shower, this time it was Nessa to complete the Radiation Canary trifecta.
"Two hours in a plane with Nick Young. You better let me live vicariously! What's he like in real life?"
Actually two hours in a plane, four hours at Thanksgiving dinner, and then about five hours of naked, sweaty, grunting fun-time. Then take out and four more hours of slap-and-tickle before they fell asleep. She considered her response and, hair dripping down her back, she bit her lip to rein in her smile as she typed her response.
"He hogs the covers, but he doesn't mind letting the woman be on top."
She made it all the way to the living room before her phone began to howl with Nessa's response.
#
That afternoon, after spilling the beans and all the gory details to Nessa, Codie drove back to the airport. She had the mechanic gas up her plane and did the pre-flight herself. The previous day might not have been a stereotypical holiday, and it might not have been her real family, but she felt she had finally gotten the gist of Thanksgiving. Topping it off with a little bit of amazing sex was just a really wonderful bonus prize.
This time she turned west, angling north once she reached the coastline. Puget Sound was ahead of her, with the sea to her left. She looked inland, trying to decide where she was going to go. The sky was the limit, and once she had the sky she could go anywhere or do anything. She turned east toward the islands. She loved the way the straight line of the horizon was broken up by the gentle humped backs of the islands both large and small, the geometric lines of the evergreens looking like flags on a windless day as she breezed past them.
Codie, still and restful, smiled as she let the plane carry her toward all the sharps and smooths of the horizon.